Might of Lordaeron

by K2JC

The Black Dogs. A mercenary company that would rape and pillage anything they could get their hands on. Their numbers, unrivaled. There was no hope of stopping them. They will rule over all. Unfortunately, a certain Prince will not stand idly by while this injustice runs amok. The Black Dogs will learn to fear the Might of Lordaeron.

8. Might of Lordaeron Ch 8

City of Ken, Palace of the Goddess

Valerius whistled to himself as he walked around the palace halls. He turned the corner and froze before quickly walking the other way. He wasn't fond of hearing Lady Proudmoore scream her love for Prince Arthas. Especially in the middle of their 'activities'. In the back of his mind, he wondered if Lady Celestine would charge them for any wrecked furniture. From the sounds he, unfortunately, overheard. The guest room would be in ruins by the time they're done.

"Captain?"

Valerius turned to the voice and immediately bowed his head low as he was approached by the Elven duo "Lady Celestine. Lady Olga. Is there something you need?"

"Have you seen Prince Arthas and Lady Proudmoore? Alicia and Prim have been asking around for them."

Olga raised a delicate brow as she noticed the Captain stiffen. Valerius let out an awkward cough and looked away.

"They are..." The Captain sighed and shook his head "Screw it. Forgive my language, my Lady. They are fucking."

Olga snorted. Way to be blunt, Captain. She thought before noticing the red faced High-Elf. Of course she would be red as a tomato. Her own people revere her so much, it was borderline obsession. The though of that made the Dark Queen narrow her eyes. She had seen her so called 'worshippers'. Their eyes hold reverence, sure, but they also show lust upon gazing at the Goddess Incarnate. Almost all of them were men, a small number of women, but overall were men. Such obsession was unsettling. To her at least. Perhaps it's her mistrust of Humans but she could feel it in her bones that their obsession will drive them to do something drastic. She recalled that something similar happened to Lord Weasel. Beardy? Beasley? Yes, Lord Beasley.

After the arrival of the Lordaeronians in Feoh. Said man disappeared and was never heard from again. This brought suspicion that he may have set off the explosion in the center of the city that caught Arcturus off guard. Unfortunately, no one has heard from him since but she did hear that Arcturus sent out search parties to find the man. Dead or alive.

'The hearts of Men are such a fickle things. Only selfish desires guide the decisions they make in life. Desires for Power, Love, Lust or Revenge. They will turn on each other soon enough. Whether it be them or their fathers or their fathers before them or their children or their children's children, they will betray one another. Always. Yet... '

Her thoughts took her to the Lordaeronians. The Alliance in general. Differing races. Humans, Elves and Dwarves. They stand united. Not once did she hear of any treachery from them. The people of Eostia had come to see them as a beacon of hope in their darkest hour. Something they saw in the Seven Shields before the arrival of the Prince. Before Celestine risked a truce with her, the very same woman she had been at brutal and bloody war for centuries.

The Dark Queen's eyes found themselves staring at the High-Elf. She had risked so much in keeping her and Chloe alive. The loyalty of her people. Her soldiers. Her Princess Knights. Yet this blonde ditz kept her word. She stood by her and treated her like any other. Given her trust and was willing to call her friend despite the bitter war they waged. Olga didn't regret her decision in fighting Celestine, not even the atrocities her creations made. But after spending almost all of her time with the High-Elf began to change her. She still hated Humans for what they've done to Chloe and her own people but she knew it was time to let that centuries long fire burn out if they want to win against the lecherous Dogs.

"Olga?"

The Dark Queen blinked before looking at Celestine "Yes?"

"I've been calling you for the past five minutes. The Captain has already left." She looked at Olga with concern "Are you alright?"

"It is of no import. I was simply... lost in thought." The Dark Queen replied with a shake of her head "Come. Don't you have to inform Arcturus and Fiorire about the Lordaeronians whereabouts?"

"Oh!" Olga will never admit that she found Celestine's squeak cute "I almost forgot. Let's go!"

Unfortunately, in her haste to leave, Celestine tripped on her own two feet and face planted on the pristine, white floor.

" ...Ow."

Everyone inside the palace stopped whatever they were doing when a very loud smack rang throughout the palace walls. Later that day, Celestine was nursing a broken nose while Olga had red handprint on her forehead. Chloe asked her Queen what happened only to be answered with a blunt 'Don't ask'.

~Line Break~

Arthas looked at the ceiling as he held a sleeping Jaina in his arms. He was so angry at the news about Ansur that he was fuming for three days straight. The Archmage in his arms had tried to approach him but he ignored her and wallowed in anger in their guest room. Jaina finally had enough in the third day and barged in the room. She didn't give him an explanation before locking the door and pushing on the bed. The moment her lips met his, he forgot about everything. Despite that, there was still a small flicker of rage burning inside him.

Sighing, he gently removed himself from Jaina and placed the blanket over her body. He placed a gentle kiss on her forehead before putting on his small clothes and pants. He walked over the window and realized it was nighttime. How long did they went at it? Shaking his head, he moved over to the mirror and stared at his reflection. It's been months since they arrived in Eostia and he always made sure that he was clean shaven. Sure he would grow a bit of stubble but if he showed any sign of growing a beard, he would immediately shave.

'Hmm. Good enough.' He thought to himself before looking back at the window 'I wonder if I can get a midnight snack here?'

He heard a loud crash outside and quickly put on a shirt before opening the door. He looked around the hall and saw a palace servant on the ground, holding his foot while a table was overturned beside him. Arthas walked towards the boy and helped him to his feet "Are you alright, son?"

"Y-Yes, milord. But I bring dire news!" The boy answered in panic "I must get this message to the Goddess Incarnate immediately!"

Arthas stepped aside and watched the messenger boy go. He narrowed his eyes and went back to his room. He put on his armor before gently waking up Jaina. He didn't want to but something tells him they'll be summoned later by the High-Elf.

"Jaina, wake up."

The Archmage frowned before blearily opening her eyes. She gave him a questioning look and loomed out the window before turning back to the Prince "Arthas? What's going on? It's the middle of the night. Why are you dressed in your armor?"

"There was a messenger boy outside. He said he brings dire news to Lady Celestine."

This managed to wake Jaina up fully. She jumped off the bed before gathering her clothes. Arthas watched her for a bit before walking towards the door. Looking over his shoulder, he said "I'll be waiting outside."

She gave a grunt of confirmation before bending over to grab her torn underwear. She cursed Arthas in her head before putting on her pants. Did he really had to do that? She could've pulled it off herself without tearing it. Damn him.

~Line Break~

Soon enough, the two were summoned by Celestine. They were gathered around the meeting room and the Goddess Incarnate began to relay the message.

"The city of Geofu is under attack by Grave Levantine. This is... very unexpected."

"Who is this man?" Arthas asked.

"He is... was a great warrior as expected from a member of the Levantine Family. He is Claudia's mentor and father-in-law. The message states that in that he was smuggling Black Dogs into the city and posed them as his personal guards. Others were hidden underneath the city. In the middle of the night, they had bribed some of the castle's guards or slaughtered them if they refused his offer. Claudia managed to send a messenger boy before she was captured." Celestine finished before turning to the Lordaeron duo "I... would like to request your aid in rescuing Claudia and her husband."

Arthas hummed in thought before looking at Jaina. A silent conversation passed between them before Arthas nodded "We'll help. Paladin Joan the Lightgazer and her army are camped out in the middle of Geofu and Ken. They were supposed to go to Rad and reinforce General Windrunner. We can meet up with her and rescue Claudia."

"So you agree?"

"Yes." Jaina replied "I'll teleport the two of us to Paladin Joan's location."

"Of course." The Goddess Incarnate bowed her head "Thank you. Prince Arthas. Lady Proudmoore. If you succeed, I am in your debt."

~Line Break~

Joan grunted as she chopped more wood for the fire. She looked at her muscles, now fitting for someone if her strength. In all honesty, she was just really strong. Even when she was a child in the orphanage. She helped the caretakers with carrying crates of food to the storage when she was ten until she found her calling in the Light and the Order of the Silver Hand. Her ears twitched and she looked to the source of the sound to see what she called 'Teleport Rings' a few feet from her. She shouldered her Maul-Axe and shielded her eyes when a blinding light flashed as the Prince and Archmage arrived. The Half-Elf approached them and bowed slightly.

"Hail, my Lord. My Lady. What brings you here?"

"The city of Geofu is under attack from the inside. Lady Celestine asked us to rescue her friend and rid the city of Black Dogs and traitors." Arthas replied as he looked down at the Half-Elf.

"How did they get into the city without our notice?"

"Grave Levantine, father-in-Law of Lady Lucross' friend, had smuggled the Black Dogs in the city and had them pose as his personal guard. More where smuggled underneath the city and waited for the time to strike. They bribed the castle guards and slaughtered those who refused and remained loyal to Claudia. We must hurry, Paladin Joan. The message says that Claudia has already been captured." Jaina answered.

Joan nodded before running towards the camp and alerting her forces. Her troops quickly readied themselves and cleaned up camp before mounting their horses. All of Joan's forces were on horseback and they, along with Arthas and Jaina, rode towards the city of Geofu post haste. The five hundred plus Alliance forces reached the city in nearly an hour later and saw it was already in chaos. There was smoke rising from parts of the city and the flames lit up the night sky. With her elven eyes, Joan could see there were soldiers fighting Black Dogs on top of the wall. She looked towards the city gate and saw it was closed.

"The gate is shut, my Lord. We have no ladders and building a siege tower will take too long. We don't even have the tools to make one. Our only option is to signal them of our arrival. It will hopefully tell the city's defenders of our arrival. Unfortunately, the same can be said to the Black Dogs. If what you say is true, then whatever hidden path Grave smuggled them through maybe an escape route as well."

"Then we strike hard and fast." Arthas replied as he glared at the city.

~Line Break~

Annette grunted as she locked swords with a Black Dog. The brunette glared at the man before stomping on his toes and slamming her forehead against his. The man was pushed to the ground and had a sword quickly run him through. The female knight breathed heavily before hearing a horn in the distance. She looked outside the wall and saw the large number of cavalry charging towards Geofu. Her eyes widened in surprise and relief to see the cavalry raised the banners of the Alliance.

'The Alliance!?'

She then realized that the gate was still closed. Annette moved past the fighting mercenaries and knights before making her way down the stairs. Three mercenaries were climbing up the spiral staircase and raised their swords to attack Annette. She parried the first one's blow before kicking him in the gut and he fell back towards his comrades, sending the three of them rolling down the stairs. She ran down the stairs and called to the other knights to help her open the gate. As they worked the mechanism that opens the large gates, a group of knights formed a perimeter around them and held off the Black Dogs.

"Make way! Make way!" Annette yelled. Unfortunately, a Black Dog slipped past the perimeter and ran her through with his sword. The mercenary pulled the blade free and kicked her to the ground. He stabbed her in the thigh before raising his sword for the killing blow.

Luckily, the gates opened fully as the Alliance forces arrived. The perimeter split off to safety as the cavalry ran over the mercenaries, including the one that would've ended Annette's life. Annette was soon helped up by her fellow knights and moved to stop the bleeding of her wounds.

On the Alliance side, Joan switched to her weapon's axe side and swung, decapitating heads of the mercenaries she passed. She jumped off her horse and slammed the hammer side of her weapon on the ground, creating a shockwave that knocked the Black Dogs surrounding her. She raised her weapon high in the air as she was surrounded by a golden light. Any of the Dogs that tried to attack her had their blades literally bounce off of her.

Joan smiled at their dumbfounded expression before holding out the Maul-Axe and spinning in place, becoming a Half-Elven cyclone of death. As most of the Black Dogs turned their attention on her, the rest of the cavalry trampled them before Arthas and Jaina made a beeline to the castle. Looking over his shoulder to see that some of the Black Dogs were chasing them, he spurned his mount faster. Jaina following his lead. He trampled the Black Dogs that were unfortunate enough to be in the two's way. Arthas raised his maul high before slamming it down on top of a mercenary's head, bashing his skull in. He looked to his left to see Jaina's eyes glowing as she released a fireball towards a group of Black Dogs.

It wasn't long until they reached the castle where Claudia was being held. All they had to do now was find her. Arthas jumped off his mount and swung Light's Vengeance against a group of mercenaries that tried to encircle him. Of course, they still had to fight through the Black Dogs guarding the place.

~Line Break~

Castle Dungeon

Claudia stared blankly ahead as Grave walked out of her cell, semen flooding out of her exposed vagina. The Holy Knight's hair was in disarray and she could only let out small gasps of air. The former Hero stared at his daughter-in-law before turning to his bound son and scoffed.

"You see that, boy? How long have you fucked your wife and still fail to produce me an heir? How pathetic."

"Mpmmmhph."

Grave sneered as Klaus closed his eyes and wept "You are no son of mine."

Without another word, he grabbed his Greatsword and severed Klaus's head from his body. Blood splattered on his armor and Grace let out a sound of disgust. He'll have to clean his armor immediately before it dries. He turned to the two Black Dogs "Get rid of this trash and chain the other one to the wall."

"Can we fuck her after?"

Grave opened his mouth to answer but was stopped when the doors to the dungeon were thrown off it's hinges and a body landed towards them. The three looked to the entryway and saw a tall, muscular blonde man in heavy armor. He held a maul in his left hand while a longsword in the other. The man glared as he dropped the longsword and walked his way towards them. Grave could hear the two mercenaries cower behind him and shook his head. He then turned to address the blonde.

"And who are you supposed to be?"

The man was silent before stopping and staring at Klaus's headless corpse then to Claudia's twitching body. The blonde's frown turned into a sneer as he sets his sea green eyes at Grave, a golden light surrounding him.

"You... you are past redemption, foul knave."

Grave grit his teeth in anger. How dare this boy call him a knave! And past redemption? Ha! He was preserving the Levantine line and purged the stain in the Levantine name. He did what must be done! What part of that needs redemption? He will show this fool why Grave Levantine is not a man to be trifled with.

"You dare- "

"Silence, scum!"

~Line Break~

Castle Courtyard

"Alright, boys. Give it your best shot."

Jaina taunted as she looked at the mercenaries that were surrounding her. She told Arthas to go ahead while she kept the Black Dogs from entering the dungeon. They had made it to the castle and fought their way past the mercenaries. They managed to get some information to where Claudia was being kept before more Black Dogs arrived. Once they reached the entrance to the dungeon, Black Dogs seem to come out of nowhere and slowly made their way towards her. Jaina sneered in disgust as they gave her looks of lust and called out what they wanted to do to her. Like hell she was going to let them do that.

The Archmage didn't let the Black Dogs make the first move and summoned a Water Elemental. The summon charged at the Dogs and slammed it's fist into the ground, causing a shockwave that threw many off their feet. It then attacked any that were foolish enough to go near it. Jaina quickly cast a Cone of Cold towards a group of mercenaries that managed to get past the Elemental. Before they could reach her, the Elemental turned into a small tidal wave and crashed into the group.

Jaina then turned to the other Black Dogs and cast a Ring of Frost. Before the majority of them could get away, they were frozen in place. Shards of ice then fell from the dark clouds that appeared in the ceiling, shattering the frozen mercenaries and impaling the ones who were unfortunate enough to get caught. The Archmage let out a sigh of relief and moved to follow Arthas to the dungeon but was stopped before more Black Dogs appeared and charged at her.

'Oh hell.'

She pointed her staff at the Black Dogs and continuously hurled lance after lance after lance against them. Her Water Elemental wasn't out of the fight yet and moved to protect it's summoner, backhanding any mercenary that got too close to Jaina.

~Line Break~

"Silence, scum!"

Arthas could hear his rage yelling for him to let it out but not yet. He will not defeat this... traitor out of hate but for justice.

"Justice will be served. For all those you have wronged, even your own family."

"Wronged? My own family? Ridiculous!" Grave pointed his Greatsword at Klaus's corpse "I did my family a favor for ridding it of this trash." He then looked at Claudia who was still staring blankly at nothing "I did what I had to do and saved the Levantine line. She and her husband have been married for so long yet still fail to produce an heir. I will not let my line end with a pathetic excuse of a son!"

"Enough talk. You're evil will be purged!"

Arthas let out a battle cry as he charged the three. Grave raised his Greatsword to block the Prince's strike. As soon as the maul slammed into the blade, Grave was shocked. The power of the blow brought him down to one knee. Sneering, he rolled back as soon as Arthas raised his weapon to attack once more. The former Hero glared at the two mercenaries and yelled "Well? Kill him!"

The cowering Black Dogs looked unsure for a moment before Grave suddenly grabbed the closest one and pushed him towards Arthas. The Prince simply punched the man in the face with enough force to send the mercenary on the ground. He didn't give him the chance to recover before crushing his head like a watermelon. The last mercenary was pushed towards him only to have his ribs cave in as Arthas swung his maul and connected to the Black Dog's chest. Arthas grabbed the mercenary on the back of the collar and slammed him on the bars of Claudia's cell. Teeth flew off before Arthas threw the mercenary down and crushed the man's head with his boot. He slowly turned his eyes to Grave.

"Face me, coward!"

Grave roared in fury as he charged the Prince. Arthas parried the Greatsword and kneed the former Hero in the gut. Grave keeled over and dropped his Greatsword before elbowing Arthas in the abdomen twice. The Prince was pushed back and Grave punched him in the face. Arthas let out a growl before sending a punch of his own, dropping Light's Vengeance on the ground. He grabbed the former Hero by collar and slammed him into the wall. Grave grunted in pain before headbutting Arthas and kicking him away.

The Prince snarled, having had enough, and kicked Grave's knee. The former Hero screamed in pain as the knee bent in an awkward angle before receiving a punch in the gut. He coughed out blood and strained to keep himself upright. He looked up just in time to see Arthas thrust the Greatsword through his body until the tip planted itself on the ground. Grave could feel his body slide down the blade and glared JP at the Prince. Arthas glared down on him and the former Hero spat a gob of blood and spot at the Prince's armor. Arthas sneered in disgust before rearing his fist back.

"The Light is my strength and I am the Light's Vengeance. Feel my wrath!"

Arthas roared as he landed a powerful punch that sent Grave's body sliding further down the blade until it hit the ground. Arthas let out a calming breath before turning to Klaus's body. He walked over to it and knelt down "May you find peace in the Light's embrace."

He stood up and walked over to Claudia's cell. He felt a wave of sadness hit him as he stared at the Holy Knight's defiled body. She was still staring at nothing. Didn't even react to anything. Arthas sighed before opening the gate. He took off his cape and set out down next to Claudia. He gently rolled her to her back before wrapping the cape around her naked form and picked her up. He made his way up the stairs and out of the dungeon. Once at the top, he was greeted by the sight of Jaina breathing heavily as she leaned on her staff. Bodies of Black Dogs lay dead behind her. The Archmage locked at him and gave him a smirk.

"What took you so long?" Her smirk turned into a gasp as she spotted the unmoving woman in Arthas' arms "Is she... "

"No." The Prince replied with a shake of his head "But we were too late. Grave had already defiled her and killed her husband, his own son, by the time I reached them. He had the audacity to justify his actions!"

Jaina walked over to him and place a calming hand on his cheek before looking down at Claudia's face. The Holy Knight stared blankly at the ceiling, unfeeling to the world around her. Jaina sighed before casting a Sleep spell on Claudia and watched as the Holy Knight's eyes closed.

"This is all I can do for now. Let's just get out of here and take her to Celestine."

"Agreed."

The Archmage raised her staff to teleport them back to Ken's palace. This would take a lot out of her considering how many Dogs she had to hold back but they needed to return to the Palace immediately. But before they left, Arthas asked one of the surviving Castle Guards to relay a message for Paladin Joan.

~Line Break~

Ken

Jaina opened her eyes and almost fell to her knees from exhaustion. She steadied herself on her staff before looking up to see the Goddess Incarnate sitting on her throne, though the Archmage could see that the High-Elf's eyes were focused solely on the sleeping brunette in Arthas' arms.

Said Prince held a solemn look before making his way towards a nearby table. He gently laid down Claudia before making his way to Celestine. Once he reached her, Arthas looked at the High-Elf before sighing.

"She's not dead, Lady Lucross." His voice had no tone in it "But... she was already defiled when we got there. Her husband lay in a pool of his own blood. Beheaded by Grave Levantine."

Everyone in the room could feel the hatred in the man's voice as he said the former Hero's name. He cleared his throat and apologized before continuing "Geofu is being retaken as we speak. I left Paladin Joan the Lightgazer in charge of the forces there. As for Grave Levantine... He won't be a problem anymore, Lady Lucross. Claudia, however." He sighed and shook his head "She will take time to heal. Both in mind and body. When I found her, she was unresponsive and lay in puddles of semen. Grave raped her so she could produce an heir for the Levantine line. Her body had few to no injuries but her mind is something no one beside herself can heal... Forgive my failure, Lady Lucross."

Arthas lowered his head in shame "We were too late."

~Line Break~

It took all of Celestine's willpower to stop herself from running to Claudia's room as Arthas told her of what happened in Geofu. Beside her, Olga kept glancing at Celestine in concern, hidden behind a mask of indifference. She, however, felt the Dark Elf's hand grasp hers and Celestine squeezed. Nodding politely at the Prince and Archmage, she dismissed herself and made her way towards the her room but not before placing a hand over Claudia's. She left the throne room and made her way to her quarters but as soon as she turned the corner, Celestine broke down and fell to her knees. Why did this happen? Why did it have to be Claudia? The first person to see past the Goddess Incarnate and befriend Celestine Lucross. Why was she so weak? The Reincarnation of the Goddess and she can't even save her people. Hundreds of thousands suffer by the Black Dog's cruelty. The same people she hired to finish her war with Olga. The same people she entrusted her people's safety and they stab her in the back. Using Olga's creations to spread their cruelty on her people. Why was she so pathetic?

"Celestine."

The High-Elf looked up to see Olga standing in front of her. The Dark Queen knelt down and, to Celestine's surprise, enveloped her in a hug. She could feel Olga's hand rub her back gently to comfort her "You are not pathetic, Celes."

'How did she know I was thinking that!?'

"You're thinking out loud, dear. Still are, actually."

"EEP!"

Olga blinked when Celestine suddenly pulled away and brought her knees to her chest, covering her reddening face with her hands. She heard the blonde say something but her voice was too muffled for her to hear.

"What was that?"

Celestine pulled her hands away to look at the Dark Elf "I asked: How much have you heard?"

"All of it."

"Eh~"

Olga sighed as the High-Elf balled herself further. She sat beside the blonde and wrapped one arm around her. They stayed like that for a long time before Celestine turned her head towards Olga "How can you say I'm not pathetic. I'm supposed to be the Reincarnation of the Goddess yet why am I so powerless to stop my people from suffering? Most nights I dream of what would happen if the Lordaeronians hadn't arrived. If you hadn't escaped Garan when Volt took over. I... I keep seeing everything fall into despair and suffering. I try to tell myself that they were just dreams but... I know they were visions."

"Visions?" This intrigued Olga. She was always the one receiving visions. Mostly from the world called Azeroth and fates of the Lordaeronians had they not arrived in Eostia.

"Like yours. Visions of what would've happened if Prince Arthas and his army hadn't arrived. We- We were so weak. We couldn't do anything. I couldn't do anything. I-I don't want to- "

"Hey, it's alright. None of that will ever happen. Do you understand?"

"Why?" This made the Dark Elf raise a delicate eyebrow at the blonde "Why are you being nice to me now? Back then, you wouldn't even care if I cried."

"It's because... you're my f-f-friend."

Celestine's mouth dropped as she looked at the Dark Elf in shock. She wiped her tears and smiled at Olga, creeping the Dark Queen out before being enveloped in a bone crushing hug.

"What are you- Get off me, you ditz!"

"You finally called me your friend! Say it again. Say it again. Pretty please with cherry on top!"

"Let go you crazy, blonde, bimbo. You're breaking my spine! Hey! Get your face off my breasts, woman. Damn it, Celestine!"

Somewhere in the shadows, a certain Dark Queen's right hand woman was burning with jealousy as she watched the two.

~Line Break~

Arthas and Jaina stared at the door where the Dark Queen followed after the Goddess Incarnate. The Prince sighed and moved to leave but not before feeling a hand grab his arm. He didn't need to know who was the owner of the appendage.

"It's not your fault, Arthas."

"It's not that, Jaina. It's just... what Grave had done sickens me. Only the Light can grant him mercy, Jaina. For I could not. No matter his reasons. Nothing can persuade me to forgive what that monster had done. To his own kin. Uther would lecture me for saying this but I hope there's a special place in Hell for that bastard."

Without another word, he walked out of the throne room. Jaina watched him leave and moved to follow after him. She caught up to the Prince and the two walked side by side. She leaned on him as she could feel her exhaustion catching up again.

"Tired?"

"You try holding off more than two dozen Black Dogs all by yourself and see how it feels."

"Heh. You weren't by yourself. You had that Water Elemental with you."

"Don't start with me now, Arthas." She slapped him lightly on the arm before hooking her own around his "Let's just go to bed. I'm tired."

"As you wish, my Queen."

"Don't even start."

~Line Break~

Geofu

Joan harrumphed when she saw the line of Black Dog prisoners march towards the castle's dungeon. Prince Arthas tasked her take over things in the city, including the Levantines bodies and the prisoners of war. She had Klaus's body fixed up before giving him to Geofu's church for a proper funeral. Grave, ironically, wasn't given a grave. She had heard from the city's knights what the former Hero had done and the Half-Elf wished she was the one to kill the bastard.

How could someone do that to their own son and daughter-in-law? She didn't want to know but deep down, she wished there was a special place in Hell waiting for Grave Levantine. The Light may love all but she certainly didn't. Paladin she may be but that didn't mean she was without emotion. In fact if she wasn't such a Holy Woman, she would spit on the man's corpse. Now if Valerius was here, he'd say he'd rather shit on the corpse than let anyone bury it. Believe her when she says the man can hold a grudge.

"Lady Joan."

Joan turned to the owner of the voice and her eyes widened at the sight. A scantily clad, brown haired knight that looked like she went through Hell, got chewed up by a big demon, stabbed in the thigh and gut before digging her way back to the surface. It surprised the Paladin how the girl was still alive.

"What in Light's name happened to you, girl!?"

She didn't let the girl answer before casting Holy Light upon the knight. The brunette felt the Light's power take effect and saw her wounds heal, like she was never stabbed at all. This was new to the brunette. She was part of Lady Claudia's Holy Knights sure but it was their faith and devotion to the Goddess and Lady Celestine that gave them the moniker. Seeing this was... odd, in a way. Heretical if you ask some of the more proud and zealous Holy Knights.

"T-Thank you, Lady Joan."

"Think nothing of it. Now, is there something else you need knight... "

"Oh!" The brunette exclaimed "Annette, Lady Joan. Also, I was told to inform you that we found the underground passage that the Dogs used to enter the city. It wasn't just a passage, Lady Joan. It led to a small base of sorts. We wanted to inform the Alliance of our findings."

"I appreciate the gesture, Knight Annette." Joan replied with a thankful nod "Where is this passage, anyway?"

"Right under the Keep, Lady Joan. I can show you the way if you'd like."

"Thank you but first, I have to send a message to Rad."

~Line Break~

Rad

"Damn it."

Sylvanas looked up from her seat in the Great Hall when she heard Falric curse. The Captain walked over to her and handed her a small parchment.

"This just arrived. Paladin Joan's forces are delayed due to an attack on Geofu by a traitor. They were the closest the Alliance could call upon to send aid. They'll arrive here in three days. Paladin Joan said she still has get things organized on Geofu before moving her forces here post haste."

Falric took a seat across from her and ran a hand through his short, messy hair. They hoped that reinforcements would arrive by tomorrow. Last they heard, Joan's forces were near Ken. Sighing, he reached over to his pipe and began smoking before taking a pear from the fruit basket in the middle of their table. Judging from the less than pleased look on her face, Sylvanas shared his thoughts as well. The Ranger-General set the parchment down and rubbed the bridge of her nose.

"This is troubling." Sylvanas began as she looked across the table at Falric "Our forces are tired and there's only three hundred of us left."

"There's still Rad's Militia and the five hundred Alliance auxiliaries. We set up ballistae with steel-tip bolts and cannons on the wall. I say we still have a chance, no matter how small."

"Those Militiamen don't have the experience required to survive the coming siege, Falric. Most of them are old men, farmers and boys who could barely swing a sword. I've seen it in their eyes. They will die."

"Maybe so but they ARE willing to die, Sylvanas. They volunteered to protect their families. They may be inexperienced but never doubt a man's resolve to protect."

The High-Elf snorted before snatching the pear from Falric's hand "Even so, Falric. Our numbers are too few. They outnumber us and they know that. They'll keep throwing whatever they can at us until we're overwhelmed."

"I know that but what choice do we have but to hold them?"

"You're right. We must fight and hold this city for three days. Let's just hope we last that long." She finished before taking a bite of the pear.

Falric hummed in agreement and kept on smoking, shooting glances at the High-Elf as she ate the pear. He couldn't help but admired both. One he found beautiful and the other delicious. Together? It's a dream come true.